Activist encourages Apple to take a stance.Apple Urged By China Dissident To Act Against One-Child Rule -- Apple, which hires manufacturers to assemble products such as the iPhone and iPad in China, can help stop forced abortions and other coercive population control measures, Chen said in an interview this week. The blind human-rights activist is betting that Apple's presence in China and the popularity of its products there will help draw attention to the issue. "Apple in China should take a very active role," Chen said. "There's a huge social responsibility for these international corporations like Apple." This is the first time since arriving in the U.S. that the civil rights activist is speaking against his country's forced birth-control policy, the issue that led to his arrest and jail term in China. Chen received a fellowship to study at New York University after seeking help at the U.S. embassy in Beijing just as high-level talks between the two countries got under way in April.

...in other Apple news.Apple iPhone 3GS to be axed -- Apple has decided to discontinue production of the 8GB iPhone 3GS, supply chain sources have confirmed to IT Pro. The 3GS was released in June 2009, and proved a huge hit selling over a million units in the opening weekend. Despite becoming an entry-level device after the launch of the iPhone 4, the 3GS has continued to sell well, with estimates suggesting Apple was still shipping over a million units a quarter.

"With IBM Emptoris, we have found that perfect supply management mechanism and valued partnership to invest in ideas together..."Anheuser-Busch InBev Extends Global Supply Chain with IBM Software -- A consumer-centric, sales driven organization, AB InBev has operations across six geographic zones and manages a portfolio of more than 200 beer brands, holding the No. 1 or No. 2 market position in 19 countries. In its procurement operations, AB InBev is a leader in embracing and embedding best practices in eSourcing as a way of ensuring process consistency and auditability around the world with its supply base, completing more than 25,000 eAuctions in seven different languages during 2011 alone. "AB InBev is a focused organization that sees the benefits of strategically managing our supply base globally while recognizing the nuances of each geographic region we serve. Additionally, we continually strive to maintain strong financial discipline in our procurement activities," said Mark Roberts, global eSourcing center director at AB InBev. "With IBM Emptoris, we have found that perfect supply management mechanism and valued partnership to invest in ideas together, and nurture them for the long-term as we support operations in both developed and emerging markets."

Austerity isn't going over well in Greece.Greek Government and Public at Odds Over New Cuts -- Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has been scrambling to seal a deal with his coalition government for fresh cuts to pensions, salaries and other expenses before Greece's so-called troika of international lenders returns to Athens on Friday to inspect his progress. The country's next installment of bailout money will depend on his getting a passing grade. But on the streets of Athens, there is a sense that this latest effort to placate Greece's lenders may be a last straw for the public.